GLG News by Building Materials Industry Experts

If one wasn’t sure how the decline in housing is impacting the construction materials sector, take a look at the trend in cement consumption. There was a notable negative shift that occurred in mid 2006 (earlier in some markets like Northern California), which is likely to continue throughout 2007....

 The recent announcement that Vulcan Materials has agreed to buy Florida Rock Industries marks the second mega construction materials deal announced in the last six months. In October 2006, Cemex launched a hostile takeover attempt of Rinker Materials valued at $12.8 Billion and on February 19,...

The latest data on construction spending for November confirms the contrasting stories between residential and non-residential construction. The theme of the November report is likely to be reflected throughout 2007-weak single family housing and stronger multifamily and non-residental construction

Worldwide demand growth for cement is, not surprisingly being led by developing countries (Asia, Middle East, South America and Eastern Europe). The cement industry has become increasingly global and the big players are international and pursuing growth around the globe. The market effects of this globalization...

While the decline in housing is making all of the headlines, it does not appear that the building and construction industry as a whole is falling through the floor. It is a fact that homebuilding is contracting, but other sectors are picking up some of the slack, namely office, retail and industria...

Eagle Materials, a regional US construction materials player may be a microcosm of the industry as a whole, as it pursues an aggressive expansion plan heading into an industry downturn. Perhaps this will lead to additional industry consolidation as valuations become more modest and remaining independents...

Elk happens to be in the position of being desired by two different companies.  One they planned for, and the other they did not.  One road leads to survival and a continuation of the brand, the other, well, probably not!

Much has been written and said about Nardelli's severance package vs. his accomplishments at Home Depot.  He has had some successes, but when it is compared to Lowe's from a Wall Street perspective, he lagged.  Did the Board decide to enter 2007 with a clean slate? Is he a victim of arrogance...

Articles on Nardelli being paid too much or not shareholder friendly abound.  This article goes further into the direction of Home Depot and the General Electric way of doing things.  Changing a cowboy culture and cutting costs were seen by Nardelli as the right thing. ...

The housing slump is negatively impacting cement demand in the US in 2006 and 2007.More importantly, the slowdown in cement consumption will almost certainly lead to a more difficult competitive environment for the industry in the next year or two, even after enjoying widespread prosperity the past...